Microsoft has released a set of Linux commands for native use on Windows. The move comes as part of announcements at its Build 2026 developer conference.
The package includes core commands such as ls, grep, cat, cp and find. These tools run directly on Windows without requiring the Windows Subsystem for Linux. They are based on the Rust-based uutils/coreutils project along with findutils and grep. The release is described as a work in progress with a limited set of commands available so far. Some Linux commands were excluded due to conflicts with existing Windows tools or because they are not applicable in the Windows environment. Microsoft's goal is to reduce friction for developers working across Linux, macOS and Windows. The change also supports the upcoming arrival of the OpenClaw AI agent framework on Windows by enabling native Linux command execution for autonomous agents.
